The Car and Truck Fleet and Leasing Management Magazine

Ohio Sues Columbus Body Shop

COLUMBUS, OH - A Columbus-based collision repair shop has been sued by the state of Ohio, which alleges the shop routinely failed to deliver, performed shoddy work and violated the Do Not Call law.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray filed the lawsuit earlier this month in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

The complaint charges Mid-Ohio Collision LLC and its owner, Dominic Cimino, with multiple violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) and Do Not Call law. In 2006, the Attorney General's Office filed a similar lawsuit against Mid-Ohio, charging the company with Do Not Call and CSPA violations. A judge ruled in favor of the state in 2007, and although Mid-Ohio complied with the terms shortly after the judgment, it later resumed its consumer law violations, according to the lawsuit. In addition to this month's complaint, Cordray also filed a contempt action related to the 2006 proceeding.

Mid-Ohio is a motor vehicle collision repair company located in Columbus. According to the complaint, the company advertised its services by calling consumers who had been involved in car accidents, even when the consumers' phone numbers were on the Do Not Call Registry.

"During these calls, Mid-Ohio offered consumers rebates for having their vehicles repaired with the company. Those rebates were never applied," said Attorney General Cordray. "Similarly, Mid-Ohio offered consumers discounts of $500 or 20 percent to 25 percent off repair bills, but then never delivered the discounts."

Consumers also reported that Mid-Ohio did shoddy work, sometimes returning vehicles in worse condition than before the repair, according to the lawsuit. In one case, a consumer said Mid-Ohio kept her vehicle for 10 months before beginning any repair work.

The latest lawsuit asks the court for a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, restitution to consumers and civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation.